Stained glass at Christ Lutheran Church

Holy Week and Easter Services Services in Manhattan, KS

Experience the victory of Christ’s resurrection through reverent, historic worship centered on Word and Sacrament.

A holy proclamation:

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Why Easter Matters

Easter is not a metaphor.

It is not sentiment.

It is not merely a celebration of spring.

Easter is the proclamation that Christ is risen from the dead — that sin is forgiven, that death is defeated, and that life is restored.

This is the heart of the Christian faith and the center of our worship.

Holy Week: One Story, Four Sacred Days

Holy Week is not a series of disconnected services.

It is one story — the Church walking with Christ from Jerusalem, to the Upper Room, to the Cross, and finally to the empty tomb.

Each service reveals a different moment in the same saving work of Jesus Christ.

Palm Sunday

The King Who Comes to Die

Holy Week Services begins with a procession as children with palm leaves walk down the center aisle.

On Palm Sunday, the Church remembers Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The crowds greet Him with palms and shouts of “Hosanna!” — welcoming Him as King.

Yet this is a different kind of King.

He enters the city not to take a throne, but to go to the cross.

The service holds together both joy and sorrow, preparing us for the days to come.

Palm Sunday proclaims that Jesus is the promised King — and that His kingdom will be won through suffering and sacrifice.

Maundy Thursday

The Night He Gave Himself

Holy Week begins not with crowds, but with intimacy.

On Maundy Thursday, the Church gathers to remember the night when Jesus shared His final meal with His disciples — the night He instituted the Lord’s Supper and prepared to lay down His life.

This service is reverent and solemn, yet deeply comforting.

Christ gives His Church a gift that carries her through suffering: His very Body and Blood.

The service concludes quietly, and the altar is stripped of its candles and vestments, reminding us that the night ends not in celebration, but in betrayal and arrest.

Good Friday

The Day the World Was Redeemed

Good Friday is the most sobering service of the Christian year.

The Church does not look away from the cross.

We hear the Passion of our Lord and confess that Christ’s suffering and death were not an accident — but the very purpose for which He came.

There is no celebration yet.

But there is hope — because on this day we confess that the death of Christ is the life of the world.

The service ends with participants walking out in silence,

Easter Sunday

The Victory Proclaimed

Then comes Easter morning.

After the waiting.

After the silence.

After the grave.

On Easter Sunday, the Church gathers to proclaim what changes everything:

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

This service is joyful and triumphant — not because of spectacle, but because of what Christ has done.

The risen Christ comes to His people with forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Why Attend All Three?

Together, these services proclaim one Gospel:

  • Maundy Thursday: Christ gives His Body and Blood
  • Good Friday: Christ gives His life for sinners
  • Easter Sunday: Christ rises victorious over sin, death, and the devil

To walk through Holy Week is to walk through the Gospel itself.

What to Expect at Lutheran Easter Services

At Christ Lutheran Church, Easter is celebrated as the Church has always done — with Scripture, prayer, sacred music, and the proclamation of Christ crucified and risen.

Our worship follows the historic liturgy of the Church, where Easter is not something we perform, but something we receive.

You will experience:

  • Reverent, Christ-centered worship
  • Scripture-rich preaching
  • Historic hymns and sacred music
  • The proclamation: Christ is risen, Alleluia
  • Holy Communion, where Christ serves His people

Whether you are returning to church, visiting for the first time, or longing for something deeper — you are welcome here.

The Divine Service

Altar at Christ Lutheran Church

Worship is not about what we do for God.

It is about what God does for us.

In the Divine Service, Christ comes to His people through His Word and His Sacraments, delivering forgiveness, life, and salvation — won by His death and resurrection.

This is Easter as the Church has always confessed it.

Easter Services in Manhattan, Kansas

We welcome neighbors from Manhattan, Junction City, St. George, Wamego, Ogden, Westmoreland, and across Riley and Pottawatomie counties.

Palm Sunday

March 29, 2026

Divine Service — 10:30 AM

The Triumphal Entry of Our Lord

Maundy Thursday

April 2, 2026

Divine Service — 6:30 PM

Christ gives His Body and Blood

Good Friday

April 3, 2026

Tenebrae Service — 6:30 PM

The Church gathers at the cross

Easter Sunday

April 5, 2026

Divine Service — 10:30 AM

The Resurrection of Our Lord

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

— Luke 24:5–6

Families & Children

Children are welcome in worship.

Easter belongs to them, too.

Find Us

We are located at 4592 Green Valley Rd, Manhattan, KS—just north of the Nelson's Ridge subdivision and a short drive from Junction City, St. George, Wamego, Ogden, and Westmoreland.

Let Us Know You're Coming

Let us know you're coming — we would love to welcome you.

Service(s) you plan to attend

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be Lutheran to attend?

No. All are welcome to hear the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection.

What if I haven’t been to church in a while?

You can expect a warm welcome and a reverent, Scripture-filled service focused entirely on Christ and His victory over sin and death.

Do you celebrate Holy Communion on Easter?

Yes. The Festival Divine Service includes the Lord’s Supper.

(Communion practice note to be added.)

This Easter, come hear the ancient proclamation that still changes everything:

Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed. Alleluia.